GDT: Buffalo @ Colorado, 10:00 pm est, 1-20-2016

[LGR4GM]

yeah. here's where i am: lehner's next ~10 games or so are really just throwaways. maybe more than that. the guy hasn't played regularly in almost a year. it's going to take some time for us to see what he has, what he is.

the specific question was how did lehner look last night, IMPO that's how he looked. We shouldn't pass judgement on him for awhile but we can certainly judge how he plays in each game.

[Doohicksie]

He's no Hasek but he looked like him on a couple of saves. With better goal support, we'd be talking this morning about how he stole the game for us.

[clintwestwood]

He's no Hasek but he looked like him on a couple of saves. With better goal support, we'd be talking this morning about how he stole the game for us.

Exactly. That and not being screened specifically by his own player on that last goal. :wallbash:

[MattPie]

Contrary to what most will say Lehner was mediocre. He was out of position on several plays because he didn't keep his feet. He had trouble finding the puck in traffic. His rebound control varied from good to terrible. His defense and size bailed him on several chances. Honestly I worry about a team having the book on Lehner because I think it will be traffic and bumping, hold the puck long enough and he'll over react. I wasnt impressed by his performance and think the game really could have ended 4-1 Colorado if they had slightly better shots. Lehner still has a Ways to go. That all said, it's his 3rd game, let's watch and see if he improves.

 

 

:huh:

 

I'm with you LGR. I wasn't paying 100% attention, but a few of Lehner's "incredible saves" were directly related to him flailing around the net in the first place. As I think I said upthread, it reminds me a bit of Ullmark early this year who seems to play out it. Hopefully the game will slow down for Lehner as he gets more comfortable and he'll look more composed.

[clintwestwood]

I'm with you LGR. I wasn't paying 100% attention, but a few of Lehner's "incredible saves" were directly related to him flailing around the net in the first place. As I think I said upthread, it reminds me a bit of Ullmark early this year who seems to play out it. Hopefully the game will slow down for Lehner as he gets more comfortable and he'll look more composed.

See Johnson's post. If the Sabres score that late goal instead of the Avs, we all post about how Lehner bailed us out with some great saves, even with his "flailing". Sure he went down on the first goal, but there was a missed clear by ROR on the rebound.

[shrader]

yeah. here's where i am: lehner's next ~10 games or so are really just throwaways. maybe more than that. the guy hasn't played regularly in almost a year. it's going to take some time for us to see what he has, what he is.

 

The description from LGR sounds exactly like what I'd expect from a guy returning after missing that much time.  Like you said, we need to look and see how all of that develops as he gets more starts.  There's a whole lot of rust to shake off, and people may not like it, but the only way to shake that off is in the net of multiple NHL games.

[Hoss]

Lehner was fantastic last night. Some people...

[Randall Flagg]

If we could score more than one even strength goal for him in his 3 games played, I'm sure he'd look even better.

[LGR4GM]

The description from LGR sounds exactly like what I'd expect from a guy returning after missing that much time. Like you said, we need to look and see how all of that develops as he gets more starts. There's a whole lot of rust to shake off, and people may not like it, but the only way to shake that off is in the net of multiple NHL games.

I agree

[Samson's Flow]

He's no Hasek but he looked like him on a couple of saves. With better goal support, we'd be talking this morning about how he stole the game for us.

I think throughout the GDT, everyone's impression was that Lehner played a strong game and made some very nice saves to keep us in it. From my eyes I thought he stole us a game until that last minute deflection goal.

 

I'm surprised to hear LGR's take that he was positionally shaky.

[North Buffalo]

Sorry, I'm too lazy to read through the thread. How was Lehner?

Better but on game winner got himself out of position and was not able to effectively work around interference in front of net. Psyk got out physicalled a couple of times in front and on game winner needed to clear a little more, but lehner still should have handled it and not whined so much after. Edited January 21, 2016 by North Buffalo

[LGR4GM]

You know who played great, Johan Larsson

[Hoss]

He was "out of position" a few times because he had to scramble to make saves on point blank shots. It's hard as hell to control a rebound when the shot is from within ten feet. The d need to clear it in those situations but instead relied on miraculous saves from Lehner.

[North Buffalo]

He was "out of position" a few times because he had to scramble to make saves on point blank shots. It's hard as hell to control a rebound when the shot is from within ten feet. The d need to clear it in those situations but instead relied on miraculous saves from Lehner.

True, but he had a lane to see last shot and wiffed, just saying Johnson woulda had that one but maybe not others..,

[spndnchz]

Sorry, I'm too lazy to read through the thread.  How was Lehner?

  

Good.

Real good.

[Hoss]

True, but he had a lane to see last shot and wiffed, just saying Johnson woulda had that one but maybe not others..,

He didn't whiff. It was deflected within a foot of him. Nothing he could do.

[biodork]

That was fun.  Lots and lots of Sabres fans in attendance last night and had a few really good Let's Go Buffalo chants going throughout the game.  Couple random thoughts:

 

- some sloppy passing by the Sabres for much of the game

- Zadorov had a ton of ice time

- Gorges looked good (apart from the stupid penalty)

- Eichel didn't look nearly as fast as he did earlier in the season

- A bunch of Avs fans behind us kept making references to O' Reilly's DUI, which was funny at first but got old by the 3rd period.

- Lehner looked real shaky in the beginning, but I thought he settled in nicely in the 2nd period.  Unfortunately the whole team seemed to think the game was over after the second.

- I hope Reinhart is okay.  I'm sure the ref who was hit around the same time is feeling it today, too.

- Pepsi Center is a nice arena.  We sat in section 304 and still had a great view of everything without feeling like we were up in the rafters.  The pre-game production with video projections on the ice surface was pretty neat, but the intermission folks could use some help.

 

Kind of a pisser how the game ended, but overall it was fun and the banter between fans was good-natured.  Also: loaded tater tot nachos need to be a thing everywhere.  So good.

Edited January 21, 2016 by biodork

[North Buffalo]

He didn't whiff. It was deflected within a foot of him. Nothing he could do.

He left that whole side open imo constituets a wiff

[jsb]

You know who played great, Johan Larsson

I think he's really playing better lately, my only disagreement with you is he had a couple of opportunities early and mishandled the puck.

Also, Lehner wasn't awesome but he looked a lot better than his previous game. Bad luck on the 2nd goal keeps him from getting a point in this game. It would help if we had scored a couple for him, must be something about these Swedish goalies..... too many meatballs maybe???

 

Nice goal by Kane also by the way, he now leads the team in hits which is pretty impressive since he's missed 10 games and and is 1 behind Eichel in SOG for the season. Personally I think he's the most scary player to play against for us. A forechecking demon also. I am really starting to love this guy.

Another item is we have really improved getting the puck out of our zone quickly. I think the addition of Pysyk and the pairing of Bogo and Risto have really helped.

[SDS]

Contrary to what most will say Lehner was mediocre. He was out of position on several plays because he didn't keep his feet. He had trouble finding the puck in traffic. His rebound control varied from good to terrible. His defense and size bailed him on several chances. Honestly I worry about a team having the book on Lehner because I think it will be traffic and bumping, hold the puck long enough and he'll over react. I wasnt impressed by his performance and think the game really could have ended 4-1 Colorado if they had slightly better shots. Lehner still has a Ways to go. That all said, it's his 3rd game, let's watch and see if he improves.

 

this could be said of either team, in any game, in the history of the NHL.

[clintwestwood]

True, but he had a lane to see last shot and wiffed, just saying Johnson woulda had that one but maybe not others..,

And if you look at the replay he was in perfect position to save the initial shot. Not his fault Pysyk got manhandled and it deflected off his hand less than a foot in front of him. Again, just like Johnson said, his saves may not have been by the book but they were there. And if we won the game you would all be praising those same saves as why we were able to stay in the game. We completely turtled in the 3rd period. No offense whatsoever, and that's not on Lehner.

[Eleven]

And if you look at the replay he was in perfect position to save the initial shot. Not his fault Pysyk got manhandled and it deflected off his hand less than a foot in front of him. Again, just like Johnson said, his saves may not have been by the book but they were there. And if we won the game you would all be praising those same saves as why we were able to stay in the game. We completely turtled in the 3rd period. No offense whatsoever, and that's not on Lehner.

 

I didn't see the game, but I did listen to Marty Biron this morning, and he was extremely complimentary with respect to Lehner.  He also made the same point you are making about Pysyk being pushed off of his mark.

[dudacek]

this could be said of either team, in any game, in the history of the NHL.

 

That LGR quote may have been the oddest critique in the history of goaltending.

I wonder if the microanalysing of Lehner will reach Miller proportions?

I've seen Johnson and Ulllmark play 30 games like that this year with little more than a few passing comments.

Lehner played good enough to give his team a chance to win.

Edited January 21, 2016 by dudacek

[Hoss]

He left that whole side open imo constituets a wiff

Watch the goal again. He put himself in position to make the save and it was deflected at the very last second. There was an open part of the net because he was preparing to control the rebound...

[clintwestwood]

He left that whole side open imo constituets a wiff

I'm assuming you either didn't watch the game or didn't watch the replays from that goal. They showed a perfect overhead shot which showed Lehner in perfect position to cover the initial shot.